Machine fok taking yeas and nays



3 Sheets- Sheet 1. T. B. STOUT .& J. F. MORELL. MAGHINE FOR-TAKING YBAS AND N'AYS.

No. ,473. Patented oct. 28, 18 51.

I 3 Sheets-Sheet. I T. B. 'STOUT'& J. P. MORELL. MAGHINE'POR TAKING YEAS AND NAYS. H

I No. 8,473. Pat enfied 001;. 23-, 1851.

1 '3 Sheets-Sheet 31 T. B..STOUT 8v J. F. MORELL. -MAOHINE FOR TAKING YEAS AND NA YS.

Patented 0st. 28, 1851'.

nsdS /n v Liwm- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOS. B. STOUT AND JAS. F. MORELL, OF KEYPORT, NEW JERSEY.

MACHINE FOR TAKING YEAS AND NAYS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 8,473, dated October 28, 1851.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, THowAs B. STOUT and JAMES F. MoRELL, ofKeyport, in the county of Monmouth and State of New J ersey, have invented a new and useful Apparatus for Taking, Dividing, Enumerating, and Recording Votes; and we do hereby de clare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of our said invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 represents a view in perspective of our apparatus. Fig. 2 is a back elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the same. Fig. 4 is a plan of a portion of the scale beam and one of its latches, detached from the apparatus, and Fig. 5 is a view of one of the record sheets.

Our invention may be divided into several parts which are not necessarily connected but which when properly combined effect the several operations of taking votes, of separating the aflirmative and negative votes, of showing which class preponderates, of enumerating the number of each class, and of recording the votes so that they can be read off as soon as they are taken, while at the same time it effectually prevents mistakes in voting as it shows whether any per sons vote has been counted on both sides of the question.

The apparatus represented in the accompanying drawings is designed for taking the votes of twelve persons; that being a sufficient number to show clearly the nature and uses of our invention; but the apparatus may be enlarged without increasing its complexity to take the votes of any assem bly however numerous, and is particularly applicable to the use of large legislative bodies where it is generally advisable to have a record of the yeas and nays on the questions decided; for the apparatus will take, divide, enumerate and record the votes of any deliberative assembly in the same space of time as it would those of a dozen persons and in less time than would'be required to merely call over the names.

The several members of the apparatus represented in the accompanying drawing are all secured to a case A whose top B forms a table on which the votes are recorded. At the front edge of this table a number of levers C C resembling the keys of a pianoforte are pivoted; these levers are arranged in pairs so as to constitute two set-s C and C, the heads of each of which are arranged in the same straight line above a corresponding series of perforations a, 5, formed in a plate a beneath, which is secured to the upper surface of the table. The tails of these levers project beyond the front side of the case and are made heavier than the heads to cause the latter to stand, when at rest, above the plate beneath as represented in the accompanying drawings. This table is perforated with two series of holes 0?, f, corresponding in number with the two series of levers, and arranged like them in two rows, one of which d corresponds with the row or set of levers or punches C, and the other row of holes f, corresponds with the other set of levers C. Each of these holes is of suflicient size to admit a ball 6, the whole set of balls being of equal weight. The lower extremity of each hole in the table is closed by a sliding valve 9, which is held in its position to close the opening by a helical spring hcoiled upon the valve rod j; the latter projects toward the front side of the case immediately beneath the weighted extremity or tail of its respective lever, so that when the valve is opened to allow the ball to drop the extremity of the valve rod striking the curved tail of the lever above it depresses the punched formed head thereof into the perforation in the plate beneath The extremities of the valve rods are actuated by wires or cords 7a which are extended to the desks of the voters. Immediately below the sliding valves 9 are two tubular channels E, F, one of these channels passes beneath the one set or row of ball holes and the other passes beneath the other set or row; the two channels slope in oppositedirections and receiving the'balls e dropped by drawing the valves 9 conduct them to spouts l m which shoot them into the opposite scale pans Gr H of a pair of scales, whose scale beam I is hung from the top of the case. The scale pans are each connected with the scale beam by means of a spring balance a, 0, the scale of each of which is divided into as many parts as there are balls in each series, and the spring of which is of such strength that when one, two, three, &c., balls are placed in its respective scale pan, the index will point to the first, second,

third, &c., division on the scale. As the present apparatus is constructed to take the votes of twelve persons, the scale of each spring balance has twelve divisions upon it, and when any number from one to twelve of the balls are placed in either scale pan the index will point at the corresponding division upon the scale thus indicating the exact number of balls placed in the scale pan.

The scale beam I is fitted with two latches p which are situated at its opposite extremities and are connected with a central handle J. These latches secure the scale beam in a level position and prevent it from moving until they are withdrawn from its extremities by moving the handle J, when the scale beam is released and allowed to turn in either direction according as the number of balls in either scale pan preponderates over the number in the opposite scale pan.

In order to use this apparatus it is secured to a table in some convenient partof the room in which the voters meet, and its valve rods 7' are connected by means of wires or cords 7a with movable knobs, bell-pulls, or other similar devices secured to the desks of the voters; each desk having two bellpulls which are connected with the two valve rods of a pair. The wires or cords may be conveniently carried beneath the floor of the room in the same manner as bell wires, so that they will be concealed from view and protected from injury. Blank recording paper is provided with the names of the voters printed upon it, and with two columns of blank spaces, one of which is for the yea votes and the other for the nay votes. The names of the voters should be printed upon the paper in alphabetical order, the spaces in the columns opposite to each name being of sufficient size to receive the impressions of the two punches of each pair; so that when a sheet of the paper is placed upon the plate 0 beneath the punches the blank spaces in the two columns opposite the first name will be beneath the respective punches which correspond with the two cords that extend to the desk of the person called by that name.

During the session of the assembly the apparatus should be always kept ready for use. The balls 6 being placed in their respective holes, and the scale beam being locked in a level position by the latches at its extremities. When a vote is to be taken each voter at his own desk pulls his yea or nay valve cord by applying his hand to the proper knob; if the yea cord be pulled, the year valve is opened to allow the yea ball to drop into the channel E beneath, by which it is immediately conducted to the spout, and discharged into the yea scale pan G; if the nay cord be pulled the nay ball is discharged into its respective channel F and conducted to its respective scale pan H. Vhen all have voted, which they may do at the same instant by pulling their voting cords simultaneously, all the balls of the yea voters will have been discharged into the yea scale pan, while those of the nay voters will have been discharged into the nay scale pan. It now the scale beam be released by moving the latches, that scale pan which has the most balls in it will immediately preponderate and turn the beam thus showing instantly whether the vote be yea or nay; while at the same time the number of votes on each side of the question is shown by the indexes of the spring balances which point to those divisions on their respective scales which correspond with the number of balls in their respective scale pans. The vote of the whole assembly is thus taken, divided, and enumerated. If at the same time it is desired that the yeas and nays shall be recorded, one of the blank recording sheets Fig. 5 is inserted beneath the punches before the vote is taken; as each voter pulls his voting cord the valve rod striking the lever above it depresses its punch formed head and thus indents or embosses the recording paper which lays beneath it; the yea punches forming their indentation in the yea column of blanks and the nay punches in the nay columns.

hen the vote is taken, and divided, and enumerated, as before stated, the clerk drawing the recording paper from the instrument can read off immediately the names of the yea and nay voters which are indicated by the indentations in the columns opposite their respective names; thus it the first voter on the list vote yea by pulling his yea cord, the blank opposite his name in the yea column will be indented by the action of his yea punch; and if the next one on the list votes nay, the blank opposite his name in the nay column will be correspondingly indented; and so on with the rest of the voters names 011 the record sheet which will have yea. or nay indentations according as they may pull their yea or nay voting cords. When therefore the record sheet is inserted in the machine the vote is recorded as well as taken, divided, and enumerated; while the machine affords a ready means of detecting mistakes in voting, for if any member does not vote no indentation will be found opposite his name, while if he vote on both sides the mistake is at once shown by the two indentations made opposite his name upon the record sheet.

l/Vhen the vote has thus been taken, divided, enumerated, and recorded, the number of votes yea and nay as shown by the indexes of the spring balances may be written by the clerk at the foot of the respective nay and yea coumns of the record sheet, by i which means a perfect record of the vote will be produced.

The employment of this instrument is attended wit-h the advantage that the yeas and nays can be recorded every time a vote is taken in less time than is now required merely to divide on a question.

It will be evident to the skilful mecha nician that the apparatus we have described may be modified and simplified both in its construction and arrangement without a substantial deviation from the principles of our invention; thus for example the punch which indents the paper may be secured directly to the extremity of the valve rod in which case the record sheet will be applied on edge to the front of the machine and should be support-ed by a plate of metal in which perforations are made corresponding with the punches on the valve rods.

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. The method of dividing the yea and nay votes and showing the vote by weighing the yea and nay balls or their equivalents in the opposite pans of a scale beam substantially as herein set forth.

2. WVe also claim the method of enumerating the votes upon a question by weighing the balls or their equivalents by spring balances or their equivalents whose indexes indicate the number of ballots in their respective scale pans substantially as herein set forth.

3. Te also claim the combination of the scale beam and spring balances or the equivalent thereof arranged substantially as herein described for the purpose of showing simultaneously both the number of votes taken on each side of the question and the relative values of the two sets or classes of votes as herein set forth.

4:. We also claim the employment of mechanism for the purpose of recording the vote and showing whether it is yea or nay at a single operation substantially as herein described.

5. WVe also claim the employment of mechanism for the purpose of recording the vote and showing the enumeration thereof at a single operation substantially as herein described.

6. And lastly we claim the employment of mechanism for the purpose of recording and enumerating the vote and showing whether it is yea or nay at a single operation substantially as herein described.

In testimony whereof they have hereunto subscribed their names.

THOS. B. STOUT. JAMES F. MORELL. Witnessesi J OI-IN XV. GHYsEo, WILLIAM E. WALLING. 

